26.09.2022 – A tough weekend, hard-fought but full of satisfaction, marked Imperiale Racing’s comeback to International GT Open three years after the last appearance in the series.

The Italian team got on the track in Monza with Topcon Position Systems and the #525 Lamborghini Huracàn GT3 Evo driven by Alberto di Folco (ITA) and James Roe Jr. (IRL) that formed a new pairing after the tests held at the beginning of the season.

The weekend has probably been one of the most challenging of the whole season with changeable weather conditions that forced Imperiale Racing and its drivers to do extra work to refine the car’s setup and make it quick in all conditions.

In Q1 Roe, who was at his maiden race in international GT3, posted a 2:00.642s under the rain, which was the tenth fastest time. Q2 was run on Sunday on dry tarmac and Di Folco’s best lap was completed after 1:49.380s, which earned the team a third-place start on the grid as the first Lamborghini of the lot.

Race one was run in the rain and therefore with poor visibility in the middle of the group. Regardless this handicap, Roe kept his cool and, despite being at the second complete race in GT3, he avoided dangerous contacts at the first chicane and completed the first lap in P5. After the pit stop, when the rain fell with increased intensity, a spin at the Parabolica corner forced Di Folco to retire from the race.

Race two was run on the dry and Di Folco started it resolute to bounce back, but contact with Klaus Bachler on turn one made him spin out on lap three. Rejoined in seventh place, the Italian driver proudly recovered up to P4 before handing the car over to Roe. The Irish driver drove well and installed himself in P3, keeping the podium position until Cazzaniga had a harsh entry into the Parabolica with a handful of laps remaining. Imperiale Racing’s pairing crossed the finish line in P5, which was then converted into P7 due to an irregularity at the pit stop-

Luca Del Grosso (Team Manager)
“This is the classic example of a result that does not mirror the speed on the track. Our determination, grit and the great setup we devised have not been sufficient this time. We can call ourselves satisfied with the performance we had in this comeback to the International GT Open. Thanks also to the fundamental support of Topcon Position Systems we have been battling for the podium. The weekend has been unpredictable but we did great teamwork, we lapped on great times and the car has been fast both on the dry and wet. The international context has been very satisfying, it has been nice to measure ourselves with this series and hope to be able to do this again in the future”.

Imperiale Racing will get back on track this coming weekend in Barcelona for the penultimate round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe 2022.